Retro Single Review: Shania Twain, “Man! I Feel Like a Woman!”

1999 | #4

Of all the crossover mega-hits from Shania Twain’s wildly successful Come On Over album, “Man! I Feel Like a Woman!” is arguably the most iconic.

The single was an across-the-board international multi-format smash that ensured Come On Over continued selling like hotcakes, and even helped Twain grab the coveted Entertainer of the Year trophy from both the CMA and the ACM.

An insanely catchy, danceable girl power anthem, “Man!” reels the listener in quickly and easily.  The distinct, easily recorgnizable synth hook ensures that the song will stay stuck in your head for days after only a few listens.  It’s the kind of song that you just fall in love with, and then get tired of, only to go right back to loving it in a short while.  The hilarious, eye-popping music video – a gender-flipped parody of Robert Palmer’s classic clip “Addicted to Love,” is every bit as memorable.

But perhaps the biggest reason why the song has held up so well over time is that, of all Shania’s memorably up-tempo romps, “Man! I Feel Like a Woman” is one that captures her infectious energy and priceless personality most effectively, right from the opening call of “Let’s go, girls!”  Only “Any Man of Mine” rivals it in that department.

There’s just no other song that defines her like this one does.  “Man! I Feel Like a Woman!” is Shania Twain.

Written by Shania Twain and Robert John “Mutt” Lange

Grade:  A

Previous:  That Don’t Impress Me Much

Next:  You’ve Got a Way